COVID-19: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray emphasises on single lockdown policy

Maharashtra Chief Minister Udhav Thackeray does not seem in favour of opening schools for classes 9 to 12 in the state. He has rather laid emphasis on holding online classes.

In an interview to his Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana, the chief minister on Friday, November 27 said, "We are trying online education. We had decided to open schools for classes 9 to 12, but in many states, schools had begun and we got reports of teachers and students getting infected. They had to shut it all down again. It is like playing with life." 

"I spoke to the honourable Prime Minister to set a policy for the whole country. This state is open but that state is closed, coronavirus cases are on the rise there, so close that state but since the number of infections is less another state is open. We need to apply the rule instead of just staying safe till next year," he added.

He also urged the Centre to work in tandem with state governments on the issue of education during the COVID-19 pandemic. "What you can do. Can you offer TV channels? Do you provide us instant networking facility for online work? We are doing all this. In my Dussehra speech, I said that Rs 37 thousand crores are with the Centre and only Rs 4-5 thousand crores have been released. But the support amount has increased again and the central government now owes Rs 37–38 thousand crore to Maharashtra."

The interview of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was conducted by the Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and Saamana editor Sanjay Raut on the occasion of Maha Vikas Aghadi government completing one year in the state. The CM spoke on several other issues ranging from his family being targeted to politics being played over religious conversions.